Chatham News

CHATHAM — Saying Selectman Amanda Love clearly didn't intend to circumvent the Open Meeting Law with a Jan. 9 email she sent to fellow board members and to the press, selectmen nonetheless acknowledged the apparent violation and underwent a short refresher course from town counsel Tuesday.
The Cape Cod Chronicle filed a complaint with the board about the email, which urged board members to consider promoting...

CHATHAM — Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are joining with Governor Charlie Baker to delay the implementation of a voter-approved law legalizing marijuana sales. Local officials are using that extra time to consider ways to keep pot retailers from opening shop in town.
While voters across the state approved the law by a 54 to 46 percent margin, Selectman Dean Nicastro said that more than 57 percent of Chatham voter...

CHATHAM — As of early this week, the last remnants of the Jan. 7 snowfall had yet to vanish completely. Nor had the memories of the storm.
Public Works Director Tom Temple praised the efforts of crews working to keep the roads plowed, despite a series of setbacks that left the town short of plows. Giving an update to the board of selectmen last week, Temple said it may be time for Chatham to consider using a l...

CHATHAM – Beginning Monday, Jan. 23, students at Chatham Elementary School will be looking for a little bit of good in everything.
The 10-day “Look for the Good” program aims to promote mindfulness and kindness and highlight gratitude among students and faculty through a variety of activities, including a “gratitude wall” where kids can post comments about the people, places and things in their lives that they...

CHATHAM — Saying it's time for the town to once again have a mooring officer, waterways advisory committee Chairman Peter Taylor has asked the harbormaster to quantify the cost of managing the town's mooring permits each year.
“Things aren't getting done because we don't have a mooring officer,” Taylor said at last Thursday's meeting. He had asked the committee to consider requesting an audit of mooring fee ...

CHATHAM – It's been a long struggle for Dale Eldredge.
A native who graduated from Chatham High School in 1993, Eldredge spent a dozen years working to acquire the title to a lot on Stony Hill Road owned by his family. Originally owned by his grandmother, the property's ownership was shared by a number of aunts and uncles; Eldredge had inherited his share when his father passed away. Over the years he was able...

CHATHAM — As usual, there is no shortage of ideas about how the town should spend its Community Preservation Act funds. So far there are proposals to use the money for restoration work at the Atwood House Museum and Chatham's VFW post building, and to advance the effort to create National Register historic districts in South Chatham and along Stage Harbor Road.
At the Jan. 9 meeting of the community preserva...

CHATHAM – Town purchase of the downtown Eldredge Garage property will be the main focus of next Monday's special town meeting.
The 11-article warrant also includes another land acquisition, several expenditure requests and a number of housekeeping measures.
The meeting was called in large measure to bring the purchase of the Eldredge Garage property at 365 Main St. before voters. Article 4 seeks $2.5 millio...

CHATHAM – An email sent Monday by Selectman Amanda Love to her fellow board members appears to have violated the state Open Meeting Law and at least the spirit of the town charter.
Noting the upcoming retirement of Fire Chief Michael Ambriscoe, the email asks that the board discuss promoting Deputy Fire Chief Peter Connick to the chief's position.
Under the town's charter, the town manager is responsible fo...

CHATHAM — In the summertime, a parking space in downtown Chatham can be priceless. But breaking down the potential cost of the Eldredge Garage property, depending on how the land is used, the price of a parking space there can be pegged at somewhere between $20,000 and $50,000.
Speaking for a coalition of business owners and residents seeking to have the town acquire the land at the upcoming Jan. 23 special ...

CHATHAM – Justin Post, the town's building commissioner for the past four years, has resigned to take the top building department job in Wellfleet.
Post's last day on the job was Friday. He starts his new position of building inspector in Wellfleet Jan. 23.
“I am honored to have served the people, businesses, and contractors of the town of Chatham and also as honored to have learned from and to have worked ...

CHATHAM – This past summer, the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge attracted more plovers and terns than previous years, although productivity was mixed.
According to a report by refuge wildlife biologist Kate Iaquinto, more piping plovers and terns nested on Monomoy this summer, and while tern productivity was up, fewer plover chicks fledged than last year.
The refuge saw 52 pairs of federally-threatened plo...